Sanetomi just stared at him, frozen. He was aware of Hideki Ito’s early experiments and their military potential, but his predecessor had seen the almost infinite danger of this class of weapon and shut down the program. Sanetomi himself had reaffirmed that decision when he’d taken office.

“Ito…” he stammered. “Ito succeeded?”

Takahashi nodded.

“That weapon isn’t a weapon of war,” Sanetomi said, licking his lips nervously. “It’s a weapon of extermination. And not just of an opposing force. Of women and children. Millions of them.”

“Chinese children grow into adults, Prime Minister. And Chinese women breed like stray dogs.”

Sanetomi’s mouth hung open for a moment, and then his eyes shifted past his military commander. “Guards! Take the general into custody immediately!”

Takahashi looked behind him at the four men rushing in their direction. They surrounded him and the prime minister, hands hidden suggestively in their jackets.

“Take the general to the front of the plane and subdue him,” Sanetomi said and then looked at the briefcase on the table between them. He didn’t understand the full capabilities of the weapon inside, nor was he confident that he understood his position in Tokyo anymore. Clearly Takahashi had been able to create this monstrosity without his knowledge, but it was impossible that he had been able to hide it from everyone. There was no question that other high-level officials had been involved in its development, funding, and testing. Who were those people? Certainly key military leaders, but what about other politicians? Sanetomi was a proud patriot but had always been careful not to cross the line into full-fledged nationalism. Many in his government weren’t as cautious. Whom could he trust?

In the end, there was only one choice.

“Tell the pilot to turn around. He’s to set a course for the American base on Okinawa. Get President Castilla’s office on the phone. Tell them it’s critical that I speak to him immediately.”

The Americans had found evidence of this weapon at Fukushima and had top people studying it. More important, he was confident that there was no one in their government who had any desire to see Asia descend into a genocidal war.

The guards just stared at him, apparently uncertain that they’d heard their orders correctly. Takahashi had been a fixture in the self-defense forces for decades and was increasingly a symbol of Japanese sovereignty and strength.

“You heard me,” Sanetomi growled. “Do it now!”

The security man next to him seemed to wake from his stupor and pulled a gun from his jacket.

Probably unnecessary in light of their superior numbers and Takahashi’s age, but it would be hard not to take pleasure in seeing the man secured to a seat with a gun to his head.